The Return
by Benevolent Contradiction
Summary: After five years, Chihiro has never lost hope that she would see Kohaku again. Her hopes are right when he finally does show. Oneshot.


_A/N: This is quite an old oneshot. As such, please excuse any mistakes. Most of all: enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away._

**The Return**

Five years. It had been five years since that fateful trip to Yubaba's bathhouse. Even though it had been so long since he made that promise to her… Chihiro, now fifteen, never lost hope! Not once. She knew he would keep his promise. She felt it deep within her heart. The sparkling hair tie holding her hair into a long ponytail was proof of that.

She kept it by her at all times, whether that be on her wrist or holding up her hair. Today marked the day when her and her parents entered that old amusement park, the day when she first met Haku. And every year on this day, she would hope even more that he would return. But when he didn't, even then she wouldn't drop the hope that still surged in her.

"Chihiro? Do you know the answer?" She was snapped from her thoughts when her teacher's shrewd voice piped up.

"No… Kimura-sama." Chihiro quietly replied.

Her teacher narrowed her eyes and asked a different student. Chihiro sighed for the hundredth time that day. She hated going to school whenever she felt down. Not only did it alert her friends, it also constantly attracted teachers with questions she wasn't paying attention to. But luckily for Chihiro, this was her last class for today.

As if the gods heard her thoughts, the bell's shrill alarm rang out. Chihiro quickly gathered her things, ready to get out of the building. She was eager to return home and throw herself onto her bed. She ran out of the classroom towards her locker when on cue her friend showed up.

"Chihiro-chan, are you okay? You seem off today, you always know the answers to Kimura-sama's questions." Ayumi asked her quietly.

"Yeah…I'm just tired." Chihiro lied quickly.

Her friend gave her a frown, knowing that Chihiro was lying, but she didn't pry. Ayumi knew that if Chihiro wanted to talk about it, she would. Chihiro couldn't tell Ayumi anyways. Not only would her friend think she was a lunatic but it was Chihiro's secret. A secret she stood by and would always continue to.

They both walked in a respective silence, just basking in each other's company. Once Chihiro reached her teal locker, she opened it while going over the combo in her head for the lock. She dumped her books in and shut the locker door. Smiling lightly at her friend, they made their way for the buses.

"I'll see you Monday, Ayumi-chan!" Chihiro called as she ran toward her bus. Ayumi waved as she made her own path towards hers.

"Feel better, Chihiro." She quietly said to herself.

Chihiro's bus was always a loud place. Students always sitting with their friends chattering away about one thing or another, whether it was about homework, family issues, or the most common source of conversation: gossip. Chihiro never listened to the conversations. Instead she just looked out the window.

Chihiro often got a headache while on the loud bus but she actually enjoyed the ride home. And that was because it passed a certain place. It passed the path that she and her parents took five years ago, when she crossed into that sacred world. So it makes sense to say that the bus ride was filled with flashbacks.

She remembered every part of her adventure. She remembered Lin, who she came to love as an older sister. She remembered Kamajii, the boiler man, who despite his appearances was one of the nicest people she's met. Then there was Yubaba who in the end let Chihiro go. No Face, who she became friends with in the end. There was Boh who became courageous once he was turned in a mouse. Yubaba's sister, Zeniba, too, who she came to know as Grandma.

But none of those people came close to the one she missed the most, the one she loved the most. And that was Kohaku. She thought all of this everyday as she passed that path, which the bus was doing now. But the feelings were stronger every year on this day. Sure, she felt like crying but the hope she felt kept her from letting tears disgrace her beautiful face.

She raised her arms and let down her hair, which fell to the small of her back. She placed the sparkling hair tie around her wrist and fingered at it. She smiled softly as it glistened in the sun washing through the windows. This was the only reminder she had of that place. But what made it better was that her friends made it: No-Face, Boh, Yubaba's bird, and Grandma.

She suddenly became aware of the bus pulling to a stop. She blinked when she realized it was her stop. Time seemed to fly when she thought about Kohaku and the others. She got up and made her way to the front of the bus, stepping off lightly. She turned slightly to watch the bus drive off, wistfully. She thought about walking to that path that led to her sacred place but thought better of it.

She turned around once again and walked slowly to her house. Movement by the tree on her lawn caught her eye. Her head snapped over to the tree when a figure stepped out from behind it. She couldn't believe her eyes. There stood a man not much older than her. But that's not what caught her eye. It was his features that startled her. His shoulder length black hair and his white-blue garb seemed to scream at her.

It was Haku.

"Haku!" She yelled, tears finally overflowing from her face.

She ran to him and threw her arms around him tightly as if he would disappear at any moment. He wrapped his arms around her just as tightly. She had never stopped hoping and now she was happy that she didn't.

"I told you that you would see me again." He told her lightly with love in his voice.

She looked up at him with a smile across her face. He smiled back down at her with affection in his eyes. Five years had passed but yet, as they stood there together, it felt as if they had never parted.

Kohaku had finally come. And he was there to stay.


End file.
